US 12,139,331 B2
Article storage container and article feeder
Takahito Yamamiya, Saitama (JP)
Assigned to ASAHI SEIKO CO., LTD, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Asahi Seiko Co., Ltd, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/952,981.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-158602 (JP), filed on Sep. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0096019 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/04 (2013.01) 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An article feeder comprising:
an article storage container which stores articles stacked one on top of another;
a movable body which pushes one of the articles located at the lowest position out of the articles stored in the article storage container and feeds the article to the outside of the article storage container;
a support rack on which to mount the article storage container;
an outlet port which is provided in the article storage container and used for the article to be fed to the outside;
a shutter which is provided in the article storage container and configured to open and close the outlet port;
a first contact portion which is connected to the shutter;
a first engagement portion which is configured to engage with the first contact portion; and
a to-be-contacted portion which is provided in the middle of a route used for mounting the article storage container on the support rack, comes into contact with the first contact portion when the shutter is open, and does not come into contact with the first contact portion when the shutter is closed, wherein
the first contact portion and the first engagement portion engage with each other by opening the shutter and the first contact portion and the first engagement portion disengage from each other by closing the shutter in a state where the article storage container is mounted on the support rack, detachment of the article storage container from the support rack is not prevented by the first contact portion and the first engagement portion when the article storage container is mounted on the support rack with the shutter closed, and the detachment of the article storage container from the support rack is prevented by the first contact portion and the first engagement portion when the article storage container is mounted on the support rack with the shutter open, and
mounting of the article storage container on the support rack is not prevented by the first contact portion and the to-be-contacted portion in the case of mounting the article storage container on the support rack with the shutter closed, and the mounting of the article storage container on the support rack is prevented by the first contact portion and the to-be-contacted portion in the case of mounting the article storage container on the support rack with the shutter open.